ALD rejects UEC demand on financial audit, says party willing to face disbandment instead

By DMG 25 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
25 April 2022, Sittwe 

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) says it will face dissolution rather than submit to an order from the junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) to have the party’s finances audited at the UEC headquarters.

In August, the UEC announced plans to audit the financial records of Myanmar’s registered political parties. At a subsequent press conference in March, the election body threatened legal action against parties that refuse to submit to the financial scrutiny.

In Arakan State, the state’s election subcommission has inspected seven out of eight local parties including the Arakan National Party (ANP) and Arakan Front Party (AFP). Only the ALD remains unscrutinised, the deputy director of the state election body told DMG last month.

The ALD’s noncompliance stems from the UEC insisting that the party bring its financial records to the commission’s office, according to ALD spokesman U Myat Tun, who added that his party did not trust the junta-appointed election body.

“The regime is now in power. If it is to take action against us or dissolve us, we will face it. But we will not go to [the UEC office] to get audited. It is our policy. We have decided not to cooperate with any dictator,” he said.

The UEC recently issued a second warning, this time telling the ALD to submit to the audit process at the commission’s Naypyidaw office by April 25. The ALD says it has all the documents requested for the audit, and has invited the UEC to inspect them at the party’s office. 

Spokesman U Myat Tun said the party will not accept any legal punishment that is premised on violations of the Political Parties Registration Law.

“The election laws do not say political parties have to get audited at the UEC office,” he told DMG. “So, if they take legal action under the law, we will face it. However, we will not accept it if it is [alleged that the ALD acted] against the Political Parties Registration Law.”

The UEC has said it will take action in line with Section 24(c), (d) and (e) of the Political Parties Registration Law if the ALD fails to show up at the Naypyidaw UEC office for an audit by the April 25 deadline. Previously, the ALD had been asked to submit to auditing by March 10 at the Arakan State election body’s office in Sittwe.

The ALD was formed in 1989 and won 11 seats in Arakan State in Myanmar’s 1990 general election, which ultimately was not recognised by the military regime of the time.